Guardian of Souls
by smeehan98
Summary: (PILOT STAGE-REQUESTING REVIEWS/OPINIONS) Not everyone was happy with her arrangement. Sealing away her true form may have delayed the return of Alucard, but the safety of his daughter came first. To watch over his weakened child, Issa sends a retainer. Disguised as a new teacher at Yokai Academy, he was sent to protect the girl from any and all threats... but she could never know.
1. Demons of Snow

**UPDATE: Due to reviews i've made a couple of adjustments to the chapter, the largest being the end with Issa (What was i thinking her?). If you read through this and found something like that bugged you, then hopefully it's fixed. If not, then just tell me and i'll see what i can do.**

**This was a total shot in the dark, people. Mistakes will be made, and I'm gonna need help to spot them.**

**Guardian of Souls**

**CH1 -Demons of Snow**

**My name is Shuzen, Takeshi, or at least it is now. I was born in Satsuma, a little under two hundred years ago during the Edo period. Thinking back, I remember little of that time; it was a happier one to be sure, but by no means perfect. The rebellions made sure of that.**

**I am told I was the son of a Samurai warrior of some standing… one of the last. My father was a supposedly a great and noble man - well respected among his peers - as any hero of the Boshin war should have been. He fought side by side with many of our kin to restore Imperial rule to our nation, and to topple the Tokugawa Shogunate. He fought in many battles, including Toba-Fushimi, for what he believed in. And he died during that war too. A group of Ashigaru ended his life in volley of lead shot and powder. A noble death, even if the killers brought dishonour to themselves using such underhanded methods. Ultimately it does not matter, for I do not remember that part of my heritage beyond the stories of my mentors.**

**I do have vague memories of my time after that though. I was all but adopted by another noble house, headed by a friend of my father. As a young child I remember playing in the courtyards, pretending that I and my surrogate brothers were the warriors our "father" spoke so fondly of. I remember the joy I felt when I discovered I and my kin had been selected to join Saigo Takamori's Private Academy in Kagoshima. Our training there was strict, brutal and well earned by all. We learned the true meaning behind Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, and set about perfecting our understanding so as to bring honour to ourselves and our families. **

**Katana's, Tanto's the Yari, European firearms, Battle-staffs and even artillery use were the subject of the day, and with eager hands we set about perfecting our form. Then we would devote our efforts to training both our bodies and our minds. We learned quickly that there were no set goals or comparisons, but at the same time it became taboo for us to accept our current selves as adequate. Every waking moment was dedicated to making some aspect of ourselves greater than we once were, be it physically, mentally or even emotionally.**

**You'd think that the environment would breed competition, but if anything the opposite was true. Our mentors did not treat us as individuals; they believed the crimes of one condemned us all. Training was difficult, and so the experienced aided the novice whenever possible. The result was that by the end of the first year we all worked solely for the betterment of ourselves and by extension the group as a whole. Slackers were treated with no mercy.**

**Unfortunately, the life I knew was subject to extreme pressure from forces outside of my control. The Meiji rulers my father had died to instate turned away from our path, and so brought conflict. Long before we were ready to embrace our mentors as true Samurai, we were accelerated. We needed warriors on the field fast. One of the only conversations I remember of that time:**

**Sensei looked at me and said "Each of you are worth five ashigaru. I only wish I had completed your training, and you would be worth a score."**

**I told the old man "When this war is over, you will."**

**...Huhh... I never did go back.**

**Rebellion against the Meiji was inevitable really. And so, with blade and horse and plate-armor we marched to our deaths against their walls of firearms. Or rather, my comrades did. **

**I on the other hand, had a different fate…**

00000

"Takeshi! You shouldn't be going out alone into this blizzard! What happens when you get lost huh?" the voice came from one of the sentries on the perimeter of the encampment. Hidden behind the face-mask of his helmet and the white snows of the storm raging around them, it was impossible to tell who the speaker was, but Takeshi doubted either of them would lose sleep over it.

"I am afraid I must!" he yelled to be heard over the winds "I have orders from the Hideo-sama to support the forward camp to the north! They're a man down!" he finished. The sentry just gave a nod in acknowledgement. Takeshi began to walk out of the comfortably sheltered valley the camp rested in, heading north as he had said was his direction.

Making his way into the open plains, Takeshi again thought about how cold this winter had been. The snow had fallen non-stop for days now. It was almost unnatural. But orders were orders, and he made sure to keep to the roads. No telling what he might find if he strayed in this weather. At best that would just get him lost.

Unfortunately for Takeshi, the gusts and torrents of snow only seemed to increase as time went on, and soon it was becoming too difficult to think about anything more than putting one step in front of the other. Several times he tripped over a buried hazard, but usually he caught himself before he fully toppled. He was acutely aware though, that every time he did this it became harder to pull himself back up. The cold was quickly draining his strength despite his warm fur clothing.

'_What is wrong with me? It should take more than a blizzard to weaken me this way.' _

He continued to struggle for the better part of an hour before he finally decided to rest. It was approaching the evening anyway. Making the decision just as he passed a sheltered ditch on the side of the path, Takeshi hunkered down and set about creating a small fire using some kindling stored in his pack. The other men would be forced to wait, but the supernaturally cold winds had sapped too much for him to make the rest of the journey in one sitting. He'd rest here the night and continue his travels in the morning. Hopefully the others would understand the reasons.

00000

_Midnight_

The silence was what woke him up in the end. Throughout the night, Takeshi's makeshift shelter had been battered by howling winds and snow, raising an awful roar all through the evening. However, it had just stopped entirely. Indeed, looking at the sky Takeshi realised that every cloud in the sky had disappeared, seemingly into nowhere. The moon glared down at him, almost full and waxing, and coated the earth in pale silver light.

Rising from his shelter, Takeshi strode back onto the road with a hand on the hilt of his tanto. The blade was quicker than a katana to draw and had served him well recently. Later in his life he would describe this moment as walking straight into hell for him at the time. Three corpses, all young male commoners, were impaled on bloody icicles not ten yards from where he re-joined the road. The blood still dripped - these were fresh kills.

Tanto and katana both drawn and held ready to kill Takeshi approached the bodies. The damage was rather horrific to say the least; two of them had been outright mutilated and were missing fingers, toes and even a nose, whilst the third had a huge gash in his stomach exposing still steaming guts to the cool night air. That one also was missing a head; the explanation was probably the mangled bits of skull still sliding off one of the icicles, which appeared to have speared _through _it.

His reverence of the gory scene was broken alongside the silence with a soft whimper coming from further up the road.

'_Survivors?! What could have done this so easily and yet missed someone?_

Rushing up the road as fast as his armoured form would allow, Takeshi quickly caught sight of the cause of the cries; a woman lying in the snow and propped against another icicle in a pool of blood. She heaved as what must have been tremendous pain given the amount of blood racked her body. Abandoning caution at the sight of the injured woman, the young samurai rushed to her side. A bloody tear in her side was the cause of the bleeding, but it seemed fairly small all things considered. Certainly not enough to cause pain like she was showing.

"Miss, where are you hurt?!" the soldier asked, cupping her chin so he could examine the side of her face that had been hidden from him.

'_She's beautiful.'_

It was true. Her face was pretty much perfect and free of any mark or blemish. Topped with just the right amount of make-up to pronounce her best features. Her lips were seemingly no exception, for they appeared as red as fresh blood. Perhaps she'd be thankful for his rescue and...

'_Don't think like that! She's injured for a start and I haven't been studied so hard just to waste it all so soon. Besides, where'd she get lipstick anyway? No carriage so she was definitely walking here.'_

No injuries there though. "Miss? Where's the problem?"

Something wasn't right. The way she looked at him, initially bewildered, but the more he looked, the more she appeared… hungry. He certainly didn't like the look she was giving him. Her tongue slipped out of her mouth and ran over her lips. The lipstick must have been fresh, because it smeared slightly as it was dragged across.

"Oh thank you! I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't arrived. Oh please stay with me! Will you?" She whispered softly, so that he had trouble hearing her words. Now Takeshi was confused. Seconds ago she had seemed to be in the worst pain imaginable, yet now she was overjoyed to see him, a complete stranger. Didn't she know what had happened just down the road? What had nearly happened to her?

"Um miss, are you alright? Did you know those men back there?" at this she looked a little sheepish, but the grin on her face was a far-cry from any more appropriate emotions.

"Oh them… yes I guess you could say that. I did eat them after all!"

That was enough, drawing his blade, the samurai recoiled from the madwoman in front of him, ready to fend her off or euphonise her as events would dictate. He found himself forced to turn around though when he backed up straight into another figure. The same girl.

_'Wait...what the?!'_

Whirling round the soldier realised he'd been completely surrounded. This girl… she was everywhere. At least ten of her were arranged in a circle around him, and more were in the trees to the side of the road. All just grinned at him sinisterly. "Well, now you've met my friends…ok really they're just me, but copies you see!" the woman who he assumed was the original said "And right now I'm really hungry, so no hard feelings right?" As one, all the 'copies' morphed their hands into sharp blades of ice. What the hell was this girl?!

Then the demons were upon him. Fortunately the 'copies' fell almost as easily as any man, but at the same time the entire fight felt psychologically wrong. He had been taught since day one at the academy not to harm women in any circumstances, but what was this thing really? It's very existence shook his beliefs to the core.

It didn't matter in the end. Even after he decided to give his all, there were just too many to best. Not soon after the fight had begun Takeshi found himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of hostile demons. The whole situation was made worse by their annoying tendency to explode into shards of ice when killed, blinding him momentarily and sending razor sharp shards of ice in all directions like shrapnel from an explosive. Now one of them stood over his kneeling form, two hand-blades crossed like scissors around his neck. For a second the demon looked almost pityingly at him, before a sadistic glee appeared on her face. So she was going to torture him before she killed him!

Reaching down, she clutched his hand with hers, now back in human form. Her touch was so cold it felt like he was burning, causing him to hiss in pain. She looked disapprovingly at him before speaking "I'm disappointed. I had heard samurai were immune to pain." She raised his hand to her mouth, now open and showing bared fangs of jagged ice, serrated and cruel. "Oh well, at least that means this part will be more fun!" and before he mustered the will to pull away, she bit down on the little finger of his left hand. The samurai screamed in white-hot agony as his finger was impaled by a freezing tooth, then torn and broken before finally the mangled remains were broken off and swallowed. Blood dripping from her grinning mouth, the beast spoke one last time "Mmmm tasty. Now let's move onto the – "she fell back against the snow, unmoving.

Takeshi was still in shock from the finger, so it took him a moment to realise what had happened. For a split second, the apparition of a man appeared next to the corpse, but it was gone just as quick so he didn't get a good look. Still kneeling, the samurai looked down at his mangled hand. It was frozen solid.

Not only that, but the ice was spreading.

"Hmm, so what have we here? An injured Samurai warrior, little more than a child really, a dead snow woman, and of course me." Takeshi twisted his head to look at the speaker, but only caught a blur before the figure was upon him. It was the man. Who else would it be?

The sudden attack from the man had sent him sprawling along the snow covered road, leaving a sizeable trench of dirt where his armour had torn through the soft ground. Takeshi finally came to a rest about twelve yards away. Winded and bleeding from some new cuts he'd received from the impact, the man had gripped him by the shoulders before he'd even uncurled from the protective ball he'd instinctively rolled into.

Full samurai armour is heavy, hence why Takeshi was only wearing the essential pieces: gauntlets, boots, some of the body, but that was still more than a grown man should be able to lift, let alone throw so far. And the man wasn't even tired if his breathing was anything to go by. Was he another monster?

"Ahh, I see you've found me out. Congratulations!"

_How does he know what I'm thinking?_

"Oh don't worry about that. I can see your fear, the kind that your people always show when the know what I am." The words were punctuated by howls of pain as the young samurai was lifted into the air with supernatural strength. If the man knew he was lifting a little in excess of a hundred pounds of man and steel from one arm, he showed no sign. If that wasn't enough, the bloody cats-eyes confirmed it. Even in his less than lucid state, Takeshi could tell this was a powerful man indeed. The features of a nobleman were present, but also the poise of an experienced warrior he had come to know from only the sensei's figure. But this man was decades younger than the sensei.

_Definitely a monster._

"Make no mistake, you're inferior, but I have no reason to kill you." Again Takeshi was thrown away, but this time a shorter distance, as if the man simply had more important matters. "I was toying with you child. Now I have to get back to business."

He began to walk away, leaving the crippled warrior in the snow were he lay. Just before he passed back over the crest of a hill, he stopped though. Takeshi watched, even as his mind began slipping into unconsciousness. He wanted to embrace the numbness that would come with it so bad, but if he slept here he'd die of exposure. The little camp he'd made was only a short distance away... he might still have a chance if the man left.

It was not to be though. Apparently the man decided that he was worth killing after all, because he turned away from the horizon and swiftly made his way back to Takeshi's form.

"Now I want you to listen carefully. You know what I am?" he asked.

Takeshi had heard stories back in the academy of creatures from the black of night, illuminating the dark with glowing red eyes. Legend held they were faster than wind and stronger than the mountains. Legend told of how their first for blood was an all-consuming force to slaughter any who crossed their path. He hadn't seen all of this, not by a long shot, but if his life was on the line.

"Vampire" he breathed, deflating even as he said this.

"Not bad young blood. I have an... offer, if you will. Recently one of my warriors was bested in single combat. An honourable death, but it leaves a void in my retinue." now the man appeared to be examining him. He dabbed a finger into one of the pools of blood forming on the ground. Admired it for a second, before running it along his tongue"Hmm, nothing too impressive, but anyone taught at one of Takamori's academies must be at least a little better than a common sell sword. Noble blood runs through you. That's good."

Now Takeshi was confused again. Weren't vampires savage beasts who would slaughter a baby for the blood in it's veins?

"I need a new retainer. You pass the tests. Your skill can be improved at a later date, and your lineage is suitable for my purposes. As for determination, you're still awake. Of course a vampire would still be fighting like the battle has been freshly joined, but for a human you've taken more than most would endure in one sitting. So, how about it?"

00000

**Choices. Difficult to make, especially when one leads you away from your friends and everything you hold dear, but the other is almost certain death. Sometimes people have gone mad from the conflict, unable to make a final decision of what to do, even in less serious cases.**

**In mine though, the choice was made for me. A small group of Meiji Ashigaru chose that fateful moment to attack. Even with firearms though, it was clear that they were no match for the vampire. Within the space of two minutes the last of the screams stopped. Given what I found out about I'm later, I find myself believing he took some time to "indulge" in the violence. If he'd been serious, it wouldn't have taken half that long.**

**That wasn't what decided my fate though. The group that attacked us had come from the south. There was no way they could've missed the main encampment. Worse, even from the distance we were the glow of fire could be seen from the same direction, and again, though smaller, in the north...my intended destination.**

**I've had three families. My first sent me away, and now the second was dead, leaving me with one more option.**

00000

"I'll follow you." I said. The words felt like coals in Takeshi's mouth, proof that he'd abandoned any hope of returning to his home. The corner of the vampires still blood-soaked lip curled up in a half smile. Until he dismissed him, or the samurai fell, Takeshi was his to command. Nodding at the still prone body of his new servant with what for the first time may have shown even a hint of compassion. the vampire spoke again.

"So... What shall we do with you? That hand looks nasty; you'll lose the whole limb to frostbite soon if you don't heat it." The mysterious man said, voice giving away no emotion other than mild amusement and indifference. "I'll assume that is your fire down the road. Wait for me there. I will be back within a day."

Then he was gone, striding to the hill he'd originally been heading for. Takeshi sighed into the snow before he began to dragging himself towards the fire.

**A.N: **

**Update: So i hope you found this better than the previous version and that those of you who had problems with the whole Gary Stu thing are just a little bit more reassured. My intention is not to sideline other characters with some OP bastard who just does all the work without a sweat. Thanks to those of you who reminded me of that.**

**Even if you've already reviewed, i'd appreciate it if you just gave me some indication of what you thought of the new update.**

**Okay so new fic, new characters, now source, new ideas! Really I have 0 idea if this will work so atm this is primarily in a pilot setting. I'll be basically setting the scene for when the actual plot (beginning on day 1 first year) begins, setting up backstory etc. Whether I continue from there or pull this offline will be decided from feedback from you guys.**

**Yeah, I know this chapter was rather short for me, but as I said I'm not sure where I'm going with this. This could be my next "Major" story, or I may demote it to a "Minor". **

**So yeah guys, I'm REALLY relying on your reviews for this one, so please leave one before you go. If you wanna follow/fave go ahead, but as I said it'll be a while before the fic becomes a priority. This is mainly so I can't forget about it.**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	2. Sengoku Jidai

**A.N: Okay, not sure how much of this is historically accurate. I tried to go with what I read up, but wiki can be a bit vague when it wants to be. It should all make sense at least, and if you can't take that then F*** it I call AU. **

**Oh btw, if you want to listen to some atmospheric music for this chapter, then watch Dan Bulls civilisation rap. It pretty much inspired half of the chapter.**

**CH2 – Sengoku Jidai**

**That was how I joined the Shuzen Clan. Beaten, broken and barely alive; it was only good fortune and what little my training had counted for that even saved me from the Snow Woman. As I have told you I quickly found Shuzen Issa to be even more dangerous but again, through luck more than anything else, I not only survived my encounter but was given an opportunity few else would ever have – to become a Vampire.**

Kagoshima was a dangerous place recently. As the centre of the Shimazu Clan's power, and it's location in Satsuma Province, it was a key target for Meiji assassins, and it wasn't unheard of for one to take a shot at a passing samurai. Besides that, the typical unrest caused by rebellion was always an excuse for criminals, drunks or even the soldiers on guard duty to go for the kill.

Besides that, poverty, fear and grief had turned the once proud city into a shadow of it's former self. Some areas even still held the scars of the British bombardment that occurred the year before. News of the enclosing net of the Meiji had set to crush the rebellion had spread fast, and whilst the two men had outrun the opposing forces, they hadn't outrun the talk. Some remained stalwart in the face of the impending battle. Most were too terrified to leave their homes.

It wasn't the glorious return Takeshi had planned when he left to fight.

"Look at this." Takeshi looked from the broken people, trying to see what the vampire... his lord... was pointing out. Along the road a man in full samurai armour was dragging a woman away. She was screaming for help, but no one came. Everyone they passed just looked down.

Takeshi looked at the face of the man he was following. He didn't seem to allow any emotion to grace his features. If anything he looked indifferent, or at worst disappointed. The vampire caught his inquiring gaze though, and shook himself as if clearing his thoughts.

"The once proud Shimazu Clan, reduced to a panicking wreck at the coming of its imminent demise. I don't know if it was fear or something else which caused you to accept my offer, but be thankful. _This _would be your fate if you had refused." the vampire spread his arm wide to involve the entire city.

Takeshi took another look at the city. The vampire hadn't asked where he was born yet, but Kagoshima was the answer. He'd been born here, and lived much of his earlier life here before moving to live at the academy. Seeing his birthplace like this...hurt.

'_Not my fight. Not anymore...'_

Whatever he thought of the rebellions factions, he'd abandoned his home clan when he accepted the vampires offer. This place meant... nothing anymore. He wouldn't let it. Couldn't let it. Takeshi dragged his eyes from the scene, focusing on nothing but putting one foot in front of the other. That and the man he was following.

"We go to Takamori. He has an item I need. And yes, he knows what I am." Takeshi looked at the vampire in surprise. The leader of the rebellions? What could they get from him at a time like this? And why had he refused to tell the people of things like the vampire?

They reached the gate of the castle. The heart of the rebellion was in front of them; a building Takeshi had previously only dreamed of entering. The guards took one look at the vampire and let him pass. They closed around him after he went through the threshold, preventing Takeshi from following with a pair of Yari. A hard glance from the vampire though was enough to move them out of the way, allowing the bewildered samurai through, albeit not without some suspicious glares.

00000

**I didn't find out what Issa wanted from Saigo Takomori. I wasn't allowed into the hall when they met. In fact as far as I know there was no one there but him and Issa. Not even his bodyguards were present, left outside like I was.**

**When he came out Issa handed to me an ornate jade and oak box; more a small chest really. He told me to take the greatest of cares when carrying it and to be ready to relinquish it when told after we left the city. He deemed it unnecessary to inform me of our final destination, and with good reason. Had I known then I would have probably broken down in terror or laughed at the absurdity of his goal. As it was I merely continued to follow, unaware of the danger we were fast approaching.**

**I only got one glance of the legend Takamori's face before Issa pulled me away. More than one emotion was present, but really the man just looked tired. Defeated. Given the events that immediately followed that meeting, I'm not really surprised.**

00000

_One Hour Later_

"DOWN!" the voice screamed. No one saw who had yelled, but everyone heard the explosion that immediately followed. A cloud of dust rose over the wall, and suddenly the city was on fire.

The Meiji had arrived.

The vampire looked down from the burning wreckage of the ruined building at the young samurai who followed him. "Time to go." he told him, as confidently as he always spoke. Takeshi just looked at the ground, hands curled into fists as his conscience raged at the decision.

Fuck the vampire's decision. This was his home!

"It's too late for that. Your home is the Shuzen estate now." the vampire spoke, unyielding. It was an ability Takeshi had quickly discovered. His new master couldn't read minds, or so he said, but he could "see" the mood of people he was in close proximity with. Combine that with natural talent at reading body and facial language, and he seemed to almost always know what was going through a person's head. "There's an entire army out there. The only thing you can do here is clear a temporary path with me or die defending this place." he said softer. Without another word, the vampire grabbed the box and set off for the wall, walking as fast as most men jogged despite the heavy load.

Takeshi realised he was about to lose sight of him, and ran to catch up, shoving through the panicking men and women unlucky enough to be stuck outside. By now the city was in chaos. Soldiers rushed to their stations, ready to defend their home with their lives. Explosions ripped through the buildings, and more than once Takeshi was nearly crushed by falling masonry. Others - unfortunate civilians, guards and even children – weren't so lucky. The really unlucky ones survived long enough to scream as hard as their pierced, broken bodies allowed before the damage overcame them and they died.

It didn't take long for Meiji troops to breach the city. A general cry of despair rose from the garrison as the enemy's heavy guns blasted the gates into splinters. There simply weren't enough guns in the city to counter the modernised armies outside. Once inside though, the Shimazu defenders stood a much better chance. Guns were an easy kill, but were slow to aim and more importantly reload. And mere ashigaru would stand no chance against the trained garrison in close quarters.

So ultimately the two sides for the moment were at a standstill. The Meiji couldn't take the place without huge casualties or razing the city entirely in a bombardment, and the rebels didn't have the numbers or equipment to win if they sallied out. For the moment then the two sides were only skirmishing. That gave the two Shuzen warriors a chance to escape.

"Where to my lord?" asked Takeshi, still lugging the box.

"A secret exit. It should lead to some of my men and horses."

Nodding, Takeshi continued to follow.

In the confusion of the battle, no one noticed the two men open a secret doorway concealed next to the wall, and disappear into the darkness beyond.

**We'd escaped the Meiji assault on the city alive and more or less healthy. I hoped the city could hold out – it was my once home after all – but a few days later all of Japan knew the rebellion was over. Kagoshima was razed almost to the foundations.**

**It was too late to stop it then, and Issa had something else to deal with; something far more important than any petty human squabble.**

**It was on this trip, rather startlingly, that I first discovered Issa's name. It seems funny that he hadn't told me now. I guess at the time neither of us were addressing the other beyond "My lord" and "Boy".**

**We met up with some more of Shuzen's retinue on the other side of the tunnel. As we travelled, more and more began to join. All were vampires like their lord, and I realised that the time of my own turning must be fast approaching. Whatever was going on was big, and even I understood Issa's desire to have all of his men as strong as they were able.**

**Finally, after many days of travel, we arrived. A small valley near Kyoto. It was completely normal… until we got close enough. Later I found out that Mikogami had created an illusion barrier to block outsiders from seeing what was going on inside the barrier. Anyway, past that barrier the valley turned into a warzone. Churned mud, dust. Shattered trees and boulders. It made the Meiji bombs look tame in comparison. At the centre of it all was a sphere of energy, seemingly maintained by two men. A third individual, a woman, was also there, but unlike the others she was able to give a little bit of attention to us. From the way he spoke among other things, even I could tell Issa knew this woman intimately, certainly better than any of us there. She was also the one who told us of our task.**

00000

"Akasha-chan…" Issa whispered softly. Takeshi could see the way his features softened just looking at the woman in front of them. '_His wife most likely then.'_ The retainer supposed. He could certainly see why Issa had picked her; she radiated a fierce will and determination. It was in her body language, the way she carried herself. Confidence was something she'd either naturally had in abundance or had trained hard to impress upon others, both in body and her purposes.

Then of course there was her gorgeous body. Supple and with curves in all the right places, but she didn't have the over-sized features that some women believed so important. Judging from the red-eyes and rather noticeable aura of energy that surrounded her, it was also clear that like her lover she was a vampire, and a powerful one at that.

Having turned to face the approaching group of warriors, even Takeshi noticed the slight raising of her eyebrow. "Issa. I'm glad you could be here my love, but you realise you can't help me in this fight? Bringing additional men won't make a difference against Alucard. All that will accomplish is a quick death for you and them."

Issa scowled at the unintended dismissal of his retinue's ability – to fault them was to fault his own leadership - but made nothing of it. If any of what she had told him was true, then even he admitted they would only get in the way during the coming fight. He was also included in that judgment.

'_Still' _he thought '_we can be of some use to them yet'_

"We're not here for that, as much as I wish it. Firstly though, I have a gift for you." He said, gesturing to Takeshi to come forward with the package. Takeshi stepped away from the formation of the group and towards the pink-haired woman, who was waiting expectantly. Kneeling he presenting the box with all due ceremony. His lord's woman Akasha reached to take the blade first, but something seemed to surprise her before she took it away. "Stand up!" she ordered, looking sharply at the warrior before her.

Takeshi warily rose to his feet, not sure what he had done that could have offended the woman. He had treated her the same way any warrior should treat the wife of their master. When he stood at his full height, which he was embarrassed to acknowledge was almost an inch shorter than her, he kept his eyes firmly locked on a tree-branch some ways behind her, being especially careful not to make eye-contact. It was very difficult to hide his confusion though when she began to sniff at his neck. He was definitely becoming uncomfortable; Akasha was almost nuzzling his neck and it felt wrong to be doing something so nearly intimate with his master's spouse right in front of the man.

"If you're hungry then just feed already!" Issa chuckled, "Only, don't drain him dry; we'll need every blade available soon enough."

'_Wow, talk about jumping to conclusions.'_

Akasha gave a pointed look over the retainer's shoulders at the clan leader, and when she finally looked back at Takeshi he could see her trying to wipe a disapproving scowl off her face. "Don't worry dear. I don't ever remember going that far. Issa…" she said glared half-angrily at the man "… just likes to have a little jest sometimes. Now, what are these gifts you have brought me?" she finished, now admiring the blade, mirror and jewel.

Again, Issa was the one to answer "_Sanshu no Jingi_. The Imperial Regalia." Vampire weren't known for applying much reverence to inanimate objects, but even some of the veteran warriors took a step back in shock. The Imperial Regalia were sacred objects unveiled only the coronation of a new emperor, and were the source of many legends.

Unperturbed like the rest, Issa continued "_Yato-no-Kagami, _the mirror, was lost in a fire centuries ago. What you see before you is genuine though; the legends tell it was rebuilt using the ashes of the original, _Yasakani-no-Magatama, _which was taken from the vaults of the Imperial Palace." Issa took a breath. "And finally_ Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi,_ the Grass-Cutter sword. Until recently it was thought lost in the Battle of _Dan-no-Ura_, but thanks to Takamori it was not only recovered but restored to its former glory.", the Vampire Lord's eyes seemed to be pleading with his woman when he spoke once more. "I hope…beg, that whatever you require of them will not damage them beyond repair."

Akasha remained silent for a moment, having drawn Kusanagi from the box and was looking upon the blade in awe. The Shimazu were to be praised; Akasha had held this blade before many centuries ago, and though time rots the memory she clearly remembered every inch of it. The sword she currently held looked, felt, and from Issa's word _was_ the same as she recalled.

Finally she turned back to her lover "I cannot make promises, but I will try. I understand the lengths you must have gone to in order to recover these." She said, still admiring the blade as she spoke. Issa just growled in grudging acceptance of her less than ideal answer.

"Now, you men should rest up. Early tomorrow morning, Mikogami's barrier will be broken, and the three of us WILL be ready to finish Alucard. Issa, you can do whatever you want too, but don't get in our way."

"Akasha-chan, we wouldn't dream of it."

**Over the next few hours the cause of our journey was explained to me. Alucard, a vampire of incredible power, was preparing to destroy everything: human, yokai, god's and demons… all were prey. It was only thanks to the efforts of three individuals that the world wasn't already under siege. Tenmei Mikogami, an exorcist and master of magics. Touhou Fuhai, a master of unarmed combat and martial arts, and of course Issa's lover, Akasha Bloodriver; perhaps the only other being alive with the strength to match the monster behind the barrier.**

**By nightfall, the plan was in place. As Akasha rightly stated, none of us (even Issa) could contend with Alucard, and would be momentary distractions at best. However Alucard's campaign had attracted numerous followers and zealots, believing they'd found an opportunity to strike back at the constantly growing population of humans with abandon. They would certainly not take kindly to the three combatants, and while not a threat, like us they would become momentary distractions. Bloodriver and her partners could not afford those in the coming battle.**

**So our job was to defend the barrier Mikogami had set up from outside interference. It was a simple task really; twenty trained vampires against an unknown number of inferior beings. But the fate of the world, both for humanity and yokai everywhere, was riding on ****us**** doing our job.**

**I had one last thing to take care of.**

"Takeshi-san, are you ready?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Rise." Ordered the vampire. Takeshi did so.

Issa held out his arms to the young samurai. Waiting until the signal was given, Takeshi stepped forward and was embraced. When the fangs pierced his neck, he winced but did not give into the temptation to scream.

The blood continued to flow, replacing the life-force of the two with one-another.

Issa visibly weakened, though not by much.

Takeshi fell to the dusty floor. Even from the back row of the watching warriors everyone could tell he was dead.

They watched.

They waited.

'_Which will it be? Will he move?"_

Death, Ghoul or Vampire? Only the third would be allowed to live on.

After a long wait, Takeshi finally stirred on the floor.

'_One down…'_

Issa addressed the newly reborn. "Do you swear fealty?"

The short traditional question with two purposes: to determine the nature of the new-born and to ensure their loyalty to their patron.

"I swear fealty." Was his reply, kneeling before Issa Shuzen as he did so.

It was the correct answer.

"Welcome to my clan, Shuzen Takeshi."

The usually reserved warriors of Shuzen's retinue rejoiced long into the night with their newest member.

**A.N: **

**So that's it. Chapter 2.**

**Next chapter will be showdown with Alucard, and also immediate aftermath. Then I'l probably do a quick summary of the time between the cannon story and that point in the chapter after. You know… start to bring up fairy tale and stuff.**

**Please rate/review. Like it or hate it I NEED to know to improve. **

**Oh and again, no pointless flames please. If you have a point I don't care how you make it, but I don't give a shit about opinions that have no reason and are just there to try and demotivate me. I've been lucky so far that even my negative reviews have had reasons, but I'm a little worried that this might develop if I'm not careful.**

**I'll ask again though, PLEASE REVIEW!**


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